Prepayment attachment for instruments.



J. L. POST. PREPAYMENT ATTAGHMENT FOR INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED APB.. 26, 1912.

Patented J an. 7, 1913.

JOHN L. Postr, 0E CANON CITY, coLonADo.

PREPAYMENTT ATTACHMENT FOR INSTRUMENTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 7 1913.

v Application led April 26, 1912. Serial No. 693,498.'

To all whom'z't may concern.'

Be it known that I, JOHN. L. PosT, a citizen of the United States,residing at Canon City, in the county of Fremont and State of Colorado,have invented new and useful Improvements in Prepayment Attachments .forInstruments, of which the following is a specification. K

This invention relates to improvements in prepayment attachments forinstruments and has particular application to an attachment of the typeset forth for telephones.

In carrying out this invention it is my purpose to provide a prepaymentattachment, especially adapted to telephones although not necessarilylimited to such use, wherein the coin receptacle will be locked Withinthe attachment and inclosed by the walls thereof in such manner as topresent, in effect, an integral structure.

It is also my purpose to provide an attachment of the character setforth which shall comprise, among other features, a coin receptacle anda box, the latter receiving the coin receptacle and having a hingedclosure capable of being locked in box formation to render the coinreceptacle inaccessible.

In another aspect, my invention embraces an alarm designed to operateautomatically in the initial movement of the lock to release the coverof the receptacle.

The invention also involves the provision of a lock adapted to lock thecover ofthe attachment in box forniation and designed to be whollyremoved from the attachment in order to unlock the same, such movementof the lock facilitating the closing of a circuit to send an alarm.

IVith-the above recited objects in view and others o f a like nature,the invention consists in the construction, combination andvarrangement. of parts hereinafter set forth lin and falling withinthescope of the claim.

Similar reference characters indicate like parts throughout the severalviews.

In the present instance, my invention isi designed especially for usewith telephones. It is to be understood, however, that the invention inits useful application is not limited to this particular purpose, as thesame may be applied to .various instruments which require a prepaymentattachment, such as automatic pianos, graphophones and -the like.

Referring now to the accompanying drawing in detail, A. indicates myimproved prepayment attachment as an entirety which may be bolted orotherwise secured to a'suitable support in proximity to the instrumentto which the attachment is applied. The attachment embraces a box-likestructure including a base 1 forming the relatively large rear wall, afront wall. 2 spaced from the rear wall and in parallelism therewith andof a height less than that of the said rear wall, sidewalls 3 3connected to the lower portion of the rear wall in any suitable mannerand interconnecting the front and rear walls and a bottom wall 4connected to all of the first mentioned walls in a well known orpreferred manner and forming with such walls a pocket 5.

The forward ends of the walls 3--3 above the front wall 2 are formed toprovide ears 6 6 and between the latter is p ivotally mounted, upon apivot rod 7 a cover 8 designed to swing up against the base 1 and form abox-like structure and composed of a front plate 9 normally disposed ina plane parallel with that of the base 1 and having connected thereto inany suitable manner by any preferred means the spaced parallel sideplates 10-10 and the end plate 11, the free edges of the said plates 10and 11 abutting the proximate surfaces of the base l so that when theparts are assembled an integral structure will be presented, to allintents and purposes. The end plate 11 of the cover adjacent the frontplate 9, is formed with a plurality of coin receiving openings 12 ofrelatively different dimensions to accommodate coins of various sizes,as is usual in prepayment attachments.

Mounted within the pocket 5 formed by the walls, 2, 3 and 4 and theadjacent inner surface of the base 1, is a coin receptacle 13constructed of any suitable or preferred material and of substantiallyrectangular contour, embracing, in the present instance, the side andend walls 14-14 and 1.5-15 respectively and the respective bottom andtop walls 16 and 17, the latter being provided with coin-receiving slots18 alining with the coin openings 12 in the box and designed to permitthe passage of the coins to the coin receptacle in the use of theprepayment attachment. rIhe top wall 17- of the coin receptacle ispreferably provided with a centrally `arranged knob 19 and a lock 2Oadapted to be manipulated by a key and having its bolt disposed inalinement with the recess 21 formed in. the adjacent surface of the base1 of the box, thus permitting or enabling the receptacle to be lockedwithin the pocket 5. In this construction it will be seen that the walls2, 3 and 4 and the coperating surface of the base `1, which form thepocket 5, substantially inclose the coin receptacle 13 so that when thecover 8 is swung about its pivot rodl to open the re, ceptacle, thewalls of the pocket and of the coin receptacle will present to allappearances and in effect, an integral structure, thus minimizing thedanger'of removal of the coin receptacle from the attachment, should thecover of the prepayment box be opened by unauthorized persons.

As before stated, my invention also embraces an alarm device designed tohe rendered operative in the initial movement of the lock of the cover 8of the box, to warn those in charge of the box that someone is openingthe same with malicious intent. The signal of the alarm device may beeither visual or audible and located at any suitable or convenient placeeither remote from or in proximity to the prepayment attachment. Thelock, indicated at 22, maybe of any suitable or preferred type and isdisposed within an opening 23 formed in the end plate 11 of the cover 8.Bolted or otherwise fastened to the base 1 upon the inner surfacethereof and immediately below the opening 23 in the cover is a lug 24equipped with an attaching flange 25 through the medium of which the lugis fastened to the respective portion of the base and provided withathreaded aperture 26 coaxial with the opening 23 in the end plate 11 ofthe cover 8. Threadedly engaging the aperture 26 and the lug 24 is ankelongated shank 27, which shank is carried by the lock 22 in the opening23 so that the cover 8 may be locked in its closed position irrespectiveof the condition of the lock 22 and unt-il such shank is removed fromthe lugs. Thus, when the lock 22 is unlocked, the shank may be rotatedwithin the lug and withdrawn from engage lment with such lug to enableopening of the ox.

Fixed to the inner surface ofthe base l at an appropriate distance belowthe lug 24, the distance being slightly less than the length of theshank 27, are contacts 28 and 29, and from .these contacts leads a'circuit 30 composed of the conductorsl 31 including in series a sourceof energy such as a bat -tery 32 and a suitable signal, such as a bolt33 adapted, when the circuit to the contacts is closed, to sound. Thecontact 28, in4 the present instance, is stationary relatively to thecontact 29 and consists of a section of wire 34 having4 a run or reachspaced from the adjacent side of the base 1 as at 35 and receiving theterminal of one of the conductors 31 of the circuit. The contact 29,being the movable contact, is constructed of suitable resilient materialand, in the present instance, is contiguous with the free terminal ofthe remaining conductor of the circuit and has its free end projectedbeyond the reach or run 35 of the wire 34 and disposed coaxially of theshank 27, as at 36, so that when such shank is in its applied positionthe free end thereof will engage the proximate end of the movablecont-actv to disengage the same from the fixed contact and consequentlybreak the circuit 30, If, however, the lock is unlocked and rotated toremove the shank from the lug, the initial movement of such shank willrelease the movable contact whereby such contact will engage the fixedcontact and consequently close the circuit and sound the alarm.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawing, the construction, mode of operation and manner of employing myinvention may be readily apparent and while I have herein shown anddescribed the preferred form of my invention by way of illustration, itis to be understood that I do not limit myself to the exact details ofconstruction and arrangement of the parts herein described anddelineated, as modification and variation may be made within the scopeof the claim and without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim r1`he combination with a prepayment attachment including abox-like 'structure having a hinged cover provided with an aperture inone wall thereof and a lug arranged within the box-like structure andsecured thereto and provided with an aperture coaxial with the openingin the wall of said cover when the latter is closed, of a lock adaptedto be disposed within the opening in said cover and unlocked and removedto facilitate the opening of the box, an. elongated shank carried bythelock and passed through the aperture in said lug, anv cuitrespectively, according as the shank is ala-rm mechanism comprising asignal, a Withdrawn or inserted.

circuit and a source of energy therein, and In testimony whereof I aHiXmy signature fixed and movable contacts forming the in presence of twoWitnesses.

terminals of said circuit, said movable con- JOHN L. POST. tact beingdisposed in the path of the shank and adapted to be rendered operativeand inoperative for closing and opening the cir- Witnesses:

R. G. PETRIE, F. E. CRAWFORD.

